Delta and LinkedIn Join Forces to Irritate Everyone

New “Innovation Class” flights will pair thought leaders with young go-getters to talk business. Because a lack of business meetings is obviously the worst thing about flying in 2014

Finally, someone has addressed the glaring shortage of sycophantic business meetings taking place within my general vicinity every time I get on an airplane.

Delta Air Lines and LinkedIn announced Wednesday a partnership to “connect today’s high-profile influencers with the business leaders of tomorrow at 35,000 feet.” The “Innovation Class” flights will pair successful applicants “with a titan in their industry” to swap ideas and talk future projects.

The program, unveiled this week at TED2014, seems tailored to address long-term complaints about air travel from two key traveling constituencies—a) business leaders, who can’t understand the lack of irritating interruptions in the one place in life where they can plausibly not respond to a text message or cell phone call, and b) everyone else, who have long lamented the distressing shortage of doe-eyed, brown-nosing would-be “innovators” loudly trying to impress important people sitting next to them.

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